U.S. Airline Revenue Passenger-Miles and Load Factor

U.S. Airline Revenue Passenger-Miles and Load Factor

Airline revenue passenger-miles (RPM)
are a measure of intensity of use of the air travel system. In 2009, the 701
million passengers traveling on U.S.-based airlines collectively traveled 763
billion miles. On average, a passenger traveling domestically traveled 872
miles. An international passenger traveling on a U.S.-based airline traveled
an average of 2,699 miles to the first destination outside the U.S.

In 2009, airlines operating in the
United States had 80.4 percent of their available seat-miles (ASM) occupied
by passengers. Capacity utilization for domestic carriers was 81.1 percent of
ASM occupied for domestic flights, and 78.8 percent of ASM occupied for
international flights. Foreign airlines that originated flights in the U.S.
had a load factor of 77.7 percent.

U.S. Airline Revenue Passenger-Miles and Load Factor

Nov-09

Nov-10

Scheduled System (Domestic and International) U.S.
Airlines Total RPM (billions)

57.66

61.98

Percent
change from same month previous year

0.9

7.5

Scheduled
System (Domestic and International) U.S. Airlines' Load Factor (percent)

78.88

80.40

Difference
from same month previous year*

3.5

1.5

* Current month minus same month
previous year. This is generally used in the case of bound numbers, such as
proportions that cannot exceed 100%.

NOTE: The current value is compared to the value from the
same period in the previous year to account for seasonality.

SOURCE:
U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology
Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline
Information, available at http://www.bts.gov/programs/airline_information/ as
of February 2011.